Fog penetrating device



R. 1 KAYE 2,4%,225

FOG PENETRATING DEVICE Filed March 7, 1947 :Jn/vendo@ @www LEE my@Patented Sept. 6, 1949 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,481,225'. j Y.FOG PENETRATING nvIcE j n Robert Lee Kaye. Newark, N. J.v ApplicationMarch 7, 1947, Serial No.733,242

3 Claims.

The present invention concerns improvements inra fog penetrating device.

It is an object of the invention to provide means forproducingintermittent light of long wavelength to eliminate theglare'resulting from, disperson of light from a vehicular lamp. j

It is an object' of the invention to utilize the relatively highillumination contrast between light absorbing and light reecting bodies.When light falls initially upon an object there is a certain time lagbefore any light at all is reliected because all bodies absorb energy.The energy level at which no energy is reilecteduis low for most bodies.rIt would theoretically be zero for a perfect reflector and infinite fora true black body absorber. The small fraction of time during which thiseiect occurs is negligible for bodies under steady illumination. Where,however, the lighting is intermittent and theinterval of illuminationis-quite short, the time differential between the beginning of visiblereflection of high-A ly reilecting bodies vor surfaces and highlyabsorbent or transparent ones can become significant as the period ofillumination decreases. At about twelve cycles per second it is nowbelieved that this effect is maximized. As the frequency passes sixteencycles per second the lag in reaction of the retina causes a persistencyof vision, which begins to give the effect of continuous illumination.Thirty cycle flicker is noticeable and can be highly irritating, but asfar asis known does not increase the visibility of contrasting objectsover continuous illumination. The eye detects no difference betweensixty cycles illumination and d./c. illumination, though here theadditional factor of heat retention by the lamp filament is anadditional element which helps to smooth out the light level curve.

The eiect of intermittent illumination at about ten to twelve cycles persecond is to emphasize the contrast between highly rellecting surfacesand those which have a longer absorbing period before visible reflectionoccurs. The increase in eiectlve contrast is appreciable. The eye canadjust itself to a wide range in level of illumination and is mostsensitive to contrasts.

Fog absorbs light, diffuses it, and decreases the lighting contrasts bywhich objects are distinguished. Much the same eiect is caused by ladirty windshield on a car. The undesirable effect, however, isimmeasurably heightened by sunlight shining on such a windshield. It isimportant to note that the presence or absence of the sunshine directlyupon the dirty windshield does not affected the amount of reflectedlight, from the Reference is had to the drawings in which like numbersrefer to like .parts throughout.

,E ig. 1 is a schematicdiagram of one form of the invention.,V i n Fig.2 is a schematicdiagram ofanother form, of the invention.

`A vehicular lamp ,bulb 20 is mounted behind an amber or similarlytinted lense 2|.- Lense 2l may be of light `polarizing material if.desired. The normal operating circuit for lamp `2ilis wire 22, junction23, wire 24, battery 25, wire 26, dashlamp switch 21, terminal 28, wire.29, junction 3U, wire 3l, `junction 32, and wire 33 to the other side oflampi20.

`When the illumination from lamp 2D is desired to be intermittent switch21 is thrown to terminal 34 and the lamp circuit then leads throughwire` 35, junction 36, movablearm 31, contact point 38 mounted on curvedresilient arm 39, junction 32 and wire 33 to lamp 20.

AV relatively high ohmage resistor 40 is connected between junctions 30and 36 and in parallel with movable arm 31, contact point 38 and curvedresilient arm 39. Motor 4l is connected to junction 23 by wire 42 and tojunction 38 by wire 43. Motor 4l is controlled by rheostat 44 which isconnected to the motor 4l by wires 45 and 46. Rheostat 44 has a zeroterminal 41 which breaks the line connection to motor 4| so that thereis no current flowing through resistor 40 when switch 21 is on terminal28.

A multiple event cam 48 is mounted on the shaft of motor 4l and is sopositioned that the dwells of the cam permit arm 31 to rise under theaction of spring 42 and break contact with point 38. When contact 38 isbroken resistor 40 is placed in series with lamp 28 which dims to apoint where little or no visible light is emitted. The rise of cam 48causes arm 31 to move into contact with arm 39 at point 38 and shuntsresistor 49, causing lamp 20 to glow. Rheostat 44 controls the speed ofrotation of motor 4l"so that the cycle of flash of lamp 20 may be variedfrom one cycle per second to thirty cycles per second.

When switch 21 is closed on terminal 28 the lamp 20 lights normally.When switch 21 is closed on terminal 34 lamp 20 may or may not lightdepending upon whether or not contact 38 is closed. When rheostat 44 iscut in motor 4l rotates cam 48 and lamp 20 flashes as resistor 40 isalternately cut in and shunted out of the lamp circuit.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 employs a vibro-pack 50 -tobreak the lamp circuit. The normal circuit of lamp 5I is wire 52,junction 53, wire 54, battery 55, junction 56, lamp dash switch 51, wire58, junction 59, wire 68, movable arm 6l, contact point 62, wire 63junction 64, and wire 65, A resistor f66-,similar toresis'tor" 40',joins junction 58 and 64.

Buzzer contacts 61 of vibro-pack 50 have movable arm 68 connected tojunction 53 by wire 68. The other arm is connected to the Winding ofvibro-pack 58 by wire 10. Vibro-pack 50 is connected to junction 1I -bywire 12. Switch 1'3 is connected to junction 56 by wire'14l andisxprovided with three terminals. l

Terminals 15 and 16 are connected to junction 1I by wire 11, A condenser18 is connected to junction .1l and .terminal 1950i switch 113 by wire80. T-he movable/arm of switch 13 isso constructed that when moved intocontact with terminal 15 vibro-pack 50 is placed across batterly '55 andattracts both arms 6l and 68. Arm 6l breaks theshunt circuit around.resistor 66 and places it in series with lam-p 2l).k Arm 68 'breaks thecircuit of vibro-pack 50 -ard permits both sets of contacts 62 and 61 toclose. When contact A61 closes vibro-*pack 50 is againerergized arid thecycle repeated. Y

Switch T3 may' be placed across terminals 16 and '18 simultanedusly. Thevoperation is the same as before, but slower depending upon the' R. =C.-time constant of condenser 18'. Condenser 18 may be varia-ble ifdesired. Normally an elec-- trolytic' condenser Vwould be used. Switch51 is th usual vdash light switch and must be closed for lamp 20 tolight at all.

l*While the `device is primarily intended for use on lautfrcbiles', andlairplanes other "uses will suggest themselves.

The aboved-isclosure is illustrative of 'two forms 4 the invention maytake and is not intended to be limiting.

I claim:

l. The combination of a vehicle with a lamp mounted thereon andpositioned to illuminate the path of said vehicle, cyclically operablemeans controlling the effective illumination of the vehicle path by saidlamp and causing said illumination .to vary suiciently in amplitude andat a cy'cli'c rate Ato maximize the contrast' between illuminatedobjects Which are relatively good reflectors of incident light andilluminated bjects which are relatively good absorbers thereo '2'.l Thecombination set forth in claim 1, said means comprising a supply circuitfor said lamp having a variable impedance means therein.

8. combination, a vehicle, a lamp having a reflector mounted thereon andpositioned to illuminate the path of .said vehicle, cyclically operablemeans controlling the eiective level of illumination of the vehicle pathby said lampand causing said illumination tova'ry in amplitude at Aacyclic Ir'ate tov maximize the contrast between illuminated objectswhich Vare relatively good vrel, flec'tors of incident light vand'illuminated objects which are relatively good absorbersthereo'f, saidmeans comprising a supply circuit for said lamp and a switchmeans tochange vthe circuit charac'- teristics.

ROBERT LEE KAYE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record' inthe le ofthis patent:

UNITED VSTTFS PATENTS

